After 20 Years in Prison, Missouri Man Serving Life Without Parole for Marijuana Asks Governor for Clemency

For the past 20 years, Chris Mizanskey, now 33, has had to go to prison to see his father. But his dad, Jeff, is not a murderer or a rapist. He was, however, busted for possession of about five pounds of pot, his third marijuana-related felony. And in Missouri, if you get three drug felonies, even if it's just marijuana, you can get life without parole. Read our in-depth profile of Jeff Mizanskey.

Meanwhile, during the past two decades, Chris has seen a sea change in marijuana laws, as several states have legal pot for medicine and two states have it for recreational use. So lately he has been wondering why his dad is sentenced to die in prison for something that most of America considers harmless -- and he wants Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to address his concerns by granting his father clemency.

"I think twenty years is more than enough," Chris tells Daily RFT. "My dad never hurt anybody. He never killed anybody. He made some mistakes, but he's paid more than enough."

Jeff's troubles began on December 18, 1993, when he drove his friend, Atilano Quintana, to a Super 8 motel in Sedalia to meet two men. Jeff says he thought they were going to meet two men to discuss moving furniture to New Mexico for Quintana's sister, who had recently moved there. To this day, he claims he had no clue Quintana was going there to buy a few pounds of marijuana.

And Quintana didn't know that the two friends who were in the motel with the brick of weed had just been busted the day before -- with thirteen bricks of marijuana -- and were coerced to participate in a sting operation to nab more buyers, which is why there were cops and surveillance equipment in the adjoining room. You can guess what happened next.

For the same charge, Jeff, who was busted in 1984 for selling an ounce of pot to an undercover cop and again in 1991 for possession of more than 35 grams of marijuana, got life without parole. He had never before done prison time, never had a violent offense, and his pot convictions did not have aggravating factors, such as involving minors or an illegal firearm. But none of that mattered because of an archaic Missouri law.

I'm sympathetic, not so with the governor, who received clemency petitions and did nothing. I don't see who you're addressing the comment to on this post or your next one. I'll read up again, but from reading about it a long time ago, I thought he was with a friend who made a deal to buy drugs from state employees in a hotel room, left and was arrested with the friend, and had almost no cannabis on him.

This is ridiculous !! It lacks even the smallest amount of common sense. There have been countless predators that have raped children and women only to get less time in prison than this poor bastard. Jay Nixon should release this man immediately.!!

I say we riot! Smash pumpkins in front of his jail. Block off highways. Steal everything we can and burn anything in our way. Just kidding. That's what assholes do. Hey black racists posting these dumbass racist comments, it's old already and nobody feels sorry for you. Just saying.

Just amazing. With all the crap that goes on in the drug world this man is punished for 3 strikes. Heaven forbid all of the heroin that is readily available for all ages in Missouri. They kill people and get to post bail. Merica!

Wow, this is so wrong and immoral. It just serves as a reminder to the absurdity of the system. If we continue to ignore the need to update and revise certain laws so that they apply to a modern society we'll continue to see lives ruined by archaic laws...

I think a lot of people are taking this article wrong... We aren't trying to free a hardened criminal.. We are trying to free a father.. An uncle.. A brother.. He didn't do meth, rob people or hurt anyone. He smoked pot. And for those of you that are so consumed with negativity, do you not know one good person that smokes? Regardless off his color, or lack of, he deserves to be free... And if you don't think he does, just simply shut up... His family goes threw enough without hearing your shit... Don't get ugly.. Just go away...

So stupid. I feel for the man and his family, but tax payers are paying about $40k a year to feed and clothe inmates. So stupid. Let this man go along with others in prison and jail for marijuana possession. So stupid.

His arrest report clearly states 2-3 grams on his person.. But was present at a deal with several pounds.. It made it a felony because of the persistent offenders law. Facts have not been altered just have not been shared in complete by the media

5 pounds is a lot more than 3 grams - 3 grams would not have been a felony 16 oz or 1 pound become felonious as well as intent to distribute. I'm sorry your family is going through this; however, the articles all state it was 5 pounds & facts should not be altered.